Spacer damper

ABSTRACT

In a spacer damper, each wire is pivoted to the spacer damper body with a relatively delicate current conducting sleeve in the pivot axis in addition to one or more torsion devices resisting pivotal movement. Limit means for limiting pivotal movement prevent the application of radial compressive forces to said sleeve.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Edward F. Bradshaw Agincourt,Ontario, Canada [21] Appl. No. 43,694 [22] Filed June 5, 1970 [45]Patented Oct. 12, 1971 [73] Assignee Burndy Corporation [54] SPACERDAMPER 3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs. [52] U.S. Cl 174/42, 174/ 146 51 Im. C1H02g 7/14, 1-102g 7/12 [50] Field of Search 174/42, 146

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,475,544 10/1969 Reed174/146 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,557,501 1/1969 France 174/146 1,098,8131/1968 Great Britain 174/146 OTHER REFERENCES Wigotsky, Silicone-RubberWashers Soothe Vibrating Transmission Lines, Design News, Aug. 18, 1965,pages 114 and 115.Copy in 174- 146.

Primary Examiner-Laramie E. Askin Attorney-Howard S. Reiter ABSTRACT: Ina spacer damper, each wire is pivoted to the spacer damper body with arelatively delicate current conducting sleeve in the pivot axis inaddition to one or more torsion devices resisting pivotal movement.Limit means for limiting pivotal movement prevent the application ofradial compressive forces to said sleeve.

PATENTEDum 12 I971 3,613,104 SHEET 1 SF 2 IN VENTOR.

EDWARD F. BRADSHAW BY PATENTEDBET 12 I971 3,613,104

SHEET 2 BF 2 INVENTOR.

EDWARD F. BRADSHAW Ail/Y.

SPACER DAMPER FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to a spacerdamper of the type used DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART There are many patentsdisclosing various types of spacer dampers. Devices of the particularclass are utilized for holding a series of power transmitting wires,generally four, in spaced relation to one another, provisions being madeso that each of the wires may move relatively to the spacer damper body,with its movement being damped by the spacer body, possibly aided by theother three wire conductors.

In spacer dampers of the particular class, it is customary to secureeach wire conductor to an arm, with the arm in turn being pivoted to thespacer damper body. Pivotal movement of the arm is generally resisted bya torsion disk, and there may frequently be two torsion disks. Thesedisks interlock the arm and the body, so that there can be no movementof the arm relatively to the body except through torsional twisting ofthe disks. In combinations of the particular class, it is quitedesirable to have a means for conducting electricity from each wire ofthe conductors to the spacer body, so that in the event any oneconductor is highly charged, as by lightning, there will be a drainageof the voltage of this conductor through the spacer body to another wireconductor. In other words, there will be an equalization of thevoltages.

For this purpose, it is customary to mount about the pivot shaft throughwhich each conductor carrying arm is pivoted to the spacer body, aconducting sleeve of some suitable material such as rubber. Actually,the torsion disks to which reference has been made, may be used for thispurpose, through embedding carbon black in the plastic material of thetorsion disks. However, the torsion disks, when impregnated with carbonblack, lose their resiliency, and deteriorate with great speed.Therefore, a separate small current carrying sleeve has been developedfor the particular purpose and is, as was indicated above, mounted aboutthe pivot shaft.

Unfortunately, it has been found that because the rubber electricityconducting sleeve is mounted about the pivot shaft, it is subject tocompressive forces upon rotation of the conductor carrying armrelatively to the spacer body. Thus, when the arm rotates to aparticular limit position, compressive forces are applied to the rubbersleeve, and under certain conditions, and after a period of time, therubber sleeve is destroyed and ceases to function effectively.

As a feature of this invention, means are provided for preventing theapplication of destructive forces, generally compressive, to the rubbersleeve, while also limiting the torsional twisting of the disks.

Particularly, the invention resides in the utilization of balancedlimiting means that serve the purpose of limiting rotation of eachconductor carrying arm relatively to the spacer damper body, while atthe same time, preventing the application of compressive destructiveforces to the rubber sleeve.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in isometric showing atypical installation of long distance transmission conductor wires heldin spaced relation by a series of spacer dampers utilizing theconstruction of this invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevation of one of the spacer dampers shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevation of one of the extensions of the spacerdamper shown in FIG. 2 illustrating portions of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a section taken along line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a section taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view in isometric showing a torsion disk that is utilized inthe invention.

FIG. 8 is a composite view showing parts of FIGS. 4 and 6 with thetransmission wire and its arm rotated to a stop position relatively tothe spacer damper body.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED MODIFICATION OF THE INVENTION Referring nowto FIG. 1, there are shown four transmission wires designated byreference numerals 10, I1, 12 and 13, each adapted to be controlled inits vibrating and swinging movement by a series of spacer dampersdesignated by reference numerals 14. The wires are shown held in anelevated supported position by a standard type of support 15 that is inturn held in position by a tower 16 as is standard in the art. Each ofthe wires 10, 11, 12, I3 is secured to each spacer damper body 14through means of a clamping mechanism 20 that is in turn pivoted to thespacer damper body about an axis designated 21, this being thelongitudinal axis of a bolt 22 best illustrated in turn in FIG. 5.

The spacer damper body 14 used may assume various forms, but the formhere illustrated is fabricated from two plates designated by referencenumerals 25 and 26 in FIG. 3, the plates being there shown separated bya sleeve 27 and held assembled by a bolt 28 and a nut 29. Preferablythere will be two of the bolts 28 as well shown in FIG. 2. The spacerdamper plates 25 and 26 are further held assembled to one anotherthrough the intermediary of the four bolts 22, one of which has beenreferred to and is well shown in FIG. 5. The functioning of one of thebolts 22 will now be described, it being appreciated, that all of thebolts 22 function in exactly the same manner for mounting the severalclamps 20.

It will be noted in FIG. 5 that the bolt 22 traverses an opening 30 inthe part 25 of the spacer damper body 14. The bolt also traverses anopening 31 in the part 26 of the spacer damper body 14. It alsotraverses openings in two opposed torsion disks 32, one of the disksbeing well illustrated in FIG. 7. Each torsion disk 32 is fonned withupstanding ribs 33 at each face thereof, and each of the parts 25 and26, has a series of depressions 34 into which the ribs 33 are adapted toenter in order to lock each of the disks against rotation relatively tothe parts 25 and 26. It will be noted also, that the plates 25 and 26are each formed with a circular flange 40 outlining a circulardepression into which the disks 32 are adapted to fit and to be housed.

The clamp 20 into which the transmission wire 10 is adapted to fit aswell shown in the several figures, is typical of each of the clampsutilized in the invention. It has extending therefrom an arm 41 throughwhich it is mounted about the bolt 22, and for the purpose of mountingthe arm 41 about the axis 21 of the bolt 22, the arm is formed with arelatively large opening 42 into which is adapted to fit a rubber sleeve44, the rubber sleeve in turn being formed with an opening that allowsit to fit closely about the bolt 22 and to lie between the bolt 22 andthe arm 41. This is all well illustrated in FIG. 5. The arm is alsoformed with a series of depressions 45 at each side thereof, thesedepressions being exactly the same form as the depressions 34 in theparts 25 and 26. The purpose of the depressions 45 is to house the ribs33 of the faces of the two disks 32 lying against the opposed surfacesof arm 41, so as to lock the arm 41 against rotation relatively to theparts 25 and 26 of the spacer damper except through the torsionaltwisting of the two disks 32.

It is the function of the rubber sleeve 44 to conduct electricity fromthe clamp 20 to the bolt 22 and therefore to the parts 25, 26 of spacerdamper 14, in order that extremely high voltages imposed on one of thewires 10-14 will be distributed to the other wires through the medium ofthe spacer damper. Obviously, it could be the function of the two disks32 to so distribute an electric charge on one of the wires, but it hasbeen found that no suitable current conducting torsion disk 32 may beeconomically fabricated for this purpose. Thus, it has been determinedthat a suitable disk formed of plastic or rubber and impregnated withcarbon black for transmitting electric current will not well withstandthe stresses of torsional twisting imposed on the disks 32.

It is for that reason,that the rubber sleeve 44 is utilized, this sleevebeing suitably impregnated with sufficient carbon black to render itconductive. By this treatment, the sleeve is rendered relatively weakand easily damaged by extreme deflection. It has also been found that byundue movement of the clamp 20 and the arm 41 relatively to the plates25 and 26, through the twisting of the disks 32, undue stresses may beimposed on the rubber sleeve 44 so as to damage it and render itinefiective. For this reason, the invention provides means for not onlylimiting the rotation of the arm 41 relatively to the spacer damper soas to protect the disks 32, but also for preventing the transmission ofcompressive stresses to the sleeve 44.

For the particular purpose, each of the parts 25 and 26 is formed with apair of generally circular segmental lugs 50 and 51 best illustrated inFIG.-6, but well shown also in FIGS. 4, 5 and 8. For cooperation withthese lugs 50 and 51 the arm 41 is fonned with an extension 52 as shownin FIGS. 4, 5 and 8. In FIG. 8 rotation of the clamp '20 and the arm 41about axis 21 of bolt 22 is well illustrated. This is the rotation thatwill take place upon relatively forceful movement of the conductor wire10 and its clamp 20 against the resistance of the two torsion disks 32.In the position of FIG. 8 it will be noted that a portion of the arm 41designated particularly by the reference numeral 4lahas contacted thepart 50:10! the lug 50. At the same time the part 52a of the extension52 of arm 41 has contacted the surface 51a of the lug 51.

It is rather obvious, that in this position of the parts, furtherrotation of the arm 41 about the axis 21 is impossible because of thefunctioning of the limit lugs 50 and 51. It is further obvious, that inthis position of the parts, there is no compressive force exertedagainst the rubber sleeve 44, all such radial forces being accepted byportions of the limit lugs 50 and 51. It will be further appreciatedthat the limiting mechanism not only prevents the exertion ofcompressive forces against the relatively delicate sleeve 44, but alsoprevents the exertion of radial forces against the torsion disks 32,whereby greatly to increase the life of the disks 32 and theirfunctioning purely and simply as torsion devices. The balancedpositioning of the limiting devices relatively to the disks 32 and theirretaining surfaces is particularly important.

The invention has thus been described but it is desired to be understoodthat it is not confined to the particular forms or usages shown anddescribed, the same being merely illustrative, and that the inventionmay be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit ofthe invention; therefore, the right is broadly claimed to employ allequivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appendentclaims, and by means of which objects of this invention are attained andnew results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particularembodiments herein shown and described are only some of the many thatcan be employed to obtain these objects and accomplish these results.

I claim:

I. In a spacer ,damper; a spacer body member; an arm member forsupporting a conductor; a pivot shaft extending through aligned openingsin said members; a conducting sleeve fitted into an opening in one ofsaid members and also on said shaft providing a path for the flow ofelectricity between said members through said shaft; torsion meansyieldingly holding said body member and said arm member against relativerotation on the axis of said shaft; said body member and said arm memberincluding first interacting limit means and second interacting limitmeans angularly spaced apart relative to said pivot shaft; each of saidlimit means resisting forces tending to rotate said arm about the otherof said limit means relative to said body member, and preventing suchforces from moving said arm in a direction generally radial to saidshaft, whereby radial compression of said conducting sleeve against saidshaftis precluded.

2. The spacer damper of claim 1 wherein each of said first and saidsecond interacting limit means comprises a generally radial shoulder onsaid arm member and a mating abutment on said body member positioned toengage the said radial shoulder following a given angular displacementof said arm member about said pivot shaft.

3. The spacer damper of claim 1, wherein said first and said secondinteracting limit means together include a pair of generally radialprojections on said arm member and a pair of cooperating projections onsaid body member positioned so that one projection on said arm memberwill alternately engage one or the other of the projections on the saidbody member upon rotation of said arm member in different directionsabout said shaft, and the other of said projections on said arm membercorrespondingly will engage the remaining one of said projections onsaid body member.

1. In a spacer damper; a spacer body member; an arm member forsupporting a conductor; a pivot shaft extending through aligned openingsin said members; a conducting sleeve fitted into an opening in one ofsaid members and also on said shaft providing a path for the flow ofelectricity between said members through said shaft; torsion meansyieldingly holding said body member and said arm member against relativerotation on the axis of said shaft; said body member and said arm memberincluding first interacting limit means and second interacting limitmeans angularly spaced apart relative to said pivot shaft; each of saidlimit means resisting forces tending to rotate said arm about the otherof said limit means relative to said body member, and preventing suchforces from moving said arm in a direction generally radial to saidshaft, whereby radial compression of said conducting sleeve against saidshaft is precluded.
 2. The spacer damper of claim 1 wherein each of saidfirst and said second interacting limit means comprises a generallyradial shoulder on said arm member and a mating abutment on said bodymember positioned to engage the said radial shoulder following a givenangular displacement of said arm member about said pivot shaft.
 3. Thespacer damper of claim 1, wherein said first and said second interactinglimit means together include a pair of generally radial projections onsaid arm member and a pair of cooperating projections on said bodymember positioned so that one projection on said arm member willalternately engage one or the other of the projections on the said bodymember upon rotation of said arm member in different directions aboutsaid shaft, and the other of said projections on said arm membercorrespondingly will engage the remaining one of said projections onsaid body member.